United States Africa Command Public Affairs Office 27 April 2012 USAFRICOM - related news stories

Good morning. Please see today's news review for April 27, 2012. This e-mail is best viewed in HTML. Of interest in today's report -At least 37 feared dead in Nigeria's newspaper explosion -Sudan president says 'no negotiation' with South -Charles Taylor convicted for role in Sierra Leone atrocities -Scientists call for rethink on consumption, population U.S. Africa Command Public Affairs Please send questions or comments to: publicaffairs@usafricom.mil 421-2687 (+49-711-729-2687) Headline Date Outlet Xinhua

At least 37 feared dead in Nigeria's 04/26/2012 newspaper explosion: official

LAGOS, April 26 (Xinhua) -- At least 37 people could be killed when a powerful explosion hit a leading national newspaper in Nigeria, Thisday Newspaper's offices in central north Abuja on Thursday, a rescue official told Xinhua.

Nigeria: Explosion Rocks Army Barrack

04/26/2012

AllAfrica.com

An Improvised Explosive Device (IED) allegedly placed inside a gutter adjacent to the Army Barrack in Bukavu, Kano State Wednesday exploded at about 9 pm.

Sudan president says 'no negotiation' with South

04/26/2012

France 24

AFP - Sudanese President Omar al-Bashir said on Monday there will be no more talks with South Sudan, as fresh Sudanese air raids drew swift condemnation from the United States and France.

Sudan: African Union Calls For End to Bombing, Troop Withdrawals

04/26/2012

AllAfrica.com

The African Union has called on Sudan to stop its aerial bombing of South Sudan and expressed "dismay and deep disappointment" with both countries for their involvement in the hostilities.

Cross-border fighting seems abating between Sudan, South Sudan

04/26/2012

Xinhua

KHARTOUM, April 25 (Xinhua) -- People living in the bordering areas between Sudan and South Sudan had a day of relative peace without shelling and bombing on Wednesday, something rare since the two countries were engaged in cross-border fighting over oil d...

Egypt: Local-Ethiopian Efforts to

04/26/2012

AllAfrica.com

Solve Crisis Between Sudan, South Sudan

On the sidelines of the urgent meeting of the African Union Peace and Security Council on Sudan and South Sudan on Tuesday 24/4/2012, Foreign Minister Mohammed Kamel Amr has agreed with his Ethiopian counterpart Hailemriam Desalegn to cooperate with the Af...

Charles Taylor, African Warlord, Convicted for Role in Sierra Leone 04/26/2012 Atrocities

ABC

After a five year trial that included grisly testimony from victims who were missing limbs, former colleagues and even fashion supermodel Naomi Campbell, African warlord Charles Taylor was convicted today for his role in the atrocities committed in Sierra ...

Attack in western Ivory Coast kills 04/26/2012 at least five

Reuters

ABIDJAN (Reuters) - Gunmen killed at least five people in an overnight attack on a border town in southwestern Ivory Coast, humanitarian and military officials said on Wednesday.

UN maintains sanctions on Ivory Coast

04/27/2012

Associated Press

UNITED NATIONS (AP) -- The U.N. Security Council voted unanimously Thursday to maintain sanctions on Ivory Coast for another year, including an arms embargo and a ban on importing rough diamonds from the West African nation.

Burkina Faso sets December 2 legislative poll

04/26/2012

Reuters

OUAGADOUGOU (Reuters) - Burkina Faso will hold elections on December 2 to elect deputies to an increased 127-member parliament from the current 111, the government of the West African nation said on Thursday.

Ecowas 'plans to send troops to Bissau'

04/26/2012

News24

Dakar - West African regional bloc Ecowas plans to send more than 600 troops to Guinea-Bissau in coming days with orders to protect people and institutions after a military coup there earlier this month, a senior Ecowas source said on Wednesday.

For African Anti-Terrorism, Region 04/26/2012 Must Lead, but U.S. Is Helping

IIP Digital (Dept. of State)

Washington -- Porous borders and weak security institutions have heightened the threat posed by violent groups in East and West Africa, and the United States is working with countries in both regions to counter the threats, not only by empowering their sec...

ICC rejects Libya bid to try Gaddafi son

04/26/2012

News24

The Hague - The International Criminal Court has again rejected attempts by Libya to delay handing over one of former dictator Muammar Gaddafi's sons, who is wanted for trial.

Libya PM: NTC blocking polls efforts

04/26/2012

News24

Tripoli - Libya's interim prime minister accused the ruling National Transitional Council on Wednesday of hindering his government's efforts to hold elections for a constituent assembly on time.

Scientists call for rethink on consumption, population

04/26/2012

Reuters

LONDON (Reuters) - Scientists have called for a radical rethink of our relationship with the planet to head off what they warn could be economic and environmental catastrophe.

Southern Africa: SA, SADC Partnering to Combat Piracy

04/26/2012

AllAfrica.com

Pretoria -- Government is looking at enhancing cooperation with its SADC neighbours along the Indian Ocean shoreline, especially the island states of Mauritius, Seychelles and Somalia, to safeguard the sea routes from pirate attacks.

Two new vaccines give Ghana

04/26/2012

Reuters

hope for healthy growth

ACCRA (Reuters) - When Odei Antwi-Agyei had the chance of introducing vaccines to prevent Ghana's children dying of diarrhoea, or vaccines to stop them dying of pneumonia, he did what no African immunisation chief has done before. He said he'd do both at t...

United Nations News Centre Africa Briefs

04/27/2012

United Nations News Service

-Libya: UN mission welcomes start date for registration of voters, candidates -Security Council extends sanctions on Cte d'Ivoire for another year -UN officials welcome court's guilty verdict in Charles Taylor trial

News Headline: At least 37 feared dead in Nigeria's newspaper explosion: official | News Date: 04/26/2012 Outlet Full Name: Xinhua News Text: LAGOS, April 26 (Xinhua) -- At least 37 people could be killed when a powerful explosion hit a leading national newspaper in Nigeria, Thisday Newspaper's offices in central north Abuja on Thursday, a rescue official told Xinhua. Abisola Fernades, the medical director of Safelive Foundation Hospital, who is also part of the rescue team told Xinhua that about 37 dead bodies were being taken away by emergency workers deployed in the area. He said the security officers and emergency workers on a rescue mission to the scene of the explosion made frantic efforts to carry the mangled bodies of the victims, adding that about 100 people were also injured in the attack. Earlier, the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) spokesperson Yushau Shuaib told Xinhua that the agency had mobilized its workers and other security agencies on a rescue mission to the scene of the explosion. No organization has claimed responsibility for the blast yet, but the radical sect known as Boko Haram has been carrying out attacks in the west African nation recently.
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News Headline: Nigeria: Explosion Rocks Army Barrack | News Date: 04/26/2012 Outlet Full Name: AllAfrica.com News Text: An Improvised Explosive Device (IED) allegedly placed inside a gutter adjacent to the Army Barrack in Bukavu, Kano State Wednesday exploded at about 9 pm. The explosion however occurred on a day the the Joint Task Force (JTF) killed a suspected Boko Haram member shortly after the group invaded a house killing a retired civil servant in Borno State. But the explosion, which took place near a shopping complex around Dantata, was said to be a small IED which exploded but did not hurt anybody. An eye witness account said though there were no casualties, residents of the area were however thrown into panic as a result of the explosion. Spokesman of the Joint Military Task Force (JTF), Lieutenant Ikedichi Iweha, confirmed the incident, saying: "The explosion occurred adjacent to the army barrack in Bukavu at a nearby

shopping complex inside a gutter. "It's true there are minor explosions and no injury was recorded because it exploded when there was no anybody around." Reports also said soldiers had cordoned off the scene of the explosion, barring civilians from staying around the area. It was also learnt that commercial activities were hurriedly closed down by the traders around the army barrack, the road was deserted as commercial and private cars stay off the area for their safety. Meanwhile, the JTF in Maiduguri in a statement by its spokesman, Lt. Col. Sagir Musa, said: "At about 1300 hours today, suspected Boko Haram sect on a tricycle machine (KEKE NAPEP) where led to a house of a retired civil servant located at Bulunkutu Tsallake in Maiduguri metropolis and shot him dead." The statement further read that "JTF cordoned and searched the area which resulted in the killing of one of the terrorists." The spokesman further revealed that the task force was able to recover the tricycle that was used to launch the attack. He also disclosed that last night they were still searching the area for the other sect members involved in the killing of the retired civil servant.
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News Headline: Sudan president says 'no negotiation' with South | News Date: 04/26/2012 Outlet Full Name: France 24 News Text: AFP - Sudanese President Omar al-Bashir said on Monday there will be no more talks with South Sudan, as fresh Sudanese air raids drew swift condemnation from the United States and France. "No negotiation with those people," Bashir said of the South Sudanese regime, which he earlier described as an "insect" that must be eliminated. "Our talks with them were with guns and bullets," he told soldiers in the main oil region of Heglig, which the South occupied for 10 days. On Friday, Bashir and Defence Minister Abdelrahim Mohammed Hussein -- both wanted by the International Criminal Court for alleged war crimes in Sudan's Darfur region -- declared the army had forced Southern soldiers out of Heglig. South Sudanese President Salva Kiir had already announced that his forces would leave under "an orderly withdrawal" from Heglig, whose occupation the UN chief Ban Ki-moon had called illegal. South Sudan said it completed the pullout on Sunday, in response to appeals from world leaders and to allow a resumption of dialogue. Despite that, the governor of South Sudan's Unity State, Taban Deng, said Sudanese bombs fell on a key bridge and a market, killing at least two children in the state capital of Bentiu on

Monday. An AFP correspondent was 50 metres (yards) from where the ordnance hit. In the market, stalls were on fire and large plumes of grey smoke rose high into the air, as screaming civilians ran in panic. The raid dashed South Sudanese hopes for an end to weeks of fighting. "I'm fearing that even if we give them Heglig, there will still be a war," said shopkeeper Suleiman Ibrahim Ali. "I'm not alone -- everyone is fearing the Antonov (warplanes)." Sudan denied the attack but the United States condemned it and urged an "immediate" halt to hostilities and a return to talks, the State Department said. France's foreign affairs spokesman Bernard Valero said the "aggression" was unacceptable and ran the risk of worsening the situation. US President Barack Obama said the presidents of Sudan and South Sudan "must have the courage to negotiate" because their people deserve peace. "We have been pressured by the international community to pull out of Heglig and this is the consequence, we have brought the war to home," Deng said. A foreign ministry statement in Khartoum said Sudan "stresses that the government of Sudan has not, and does not intend to attack the Republic of South Sudan." But the South's deputy director of military intelligence, Mac Paul, said: "I think it is a clear provocation." The air raid is the latest of several along the disputed border. Foreign ministers of the European Union urged Sudan and South Sudan "to stop immediately attacks on each other's territory." If violence continues the EU could sanction them, said France's Cooperation Minister Henri de Raincourt. UN chief Ban Ki-moon and the African Union have also urged Sudan and South Sudan to resume talks. Southern officials said Sudanese troops had pushed across the contested border on Sunday before being repulsed after heavy fighting. Southern troops were digging into positions fearing renewed ground attacks by Sudan, said the South's Lieutenant General Obuto Mamur. Kamal Marouf, a Sudanese army commander, claimed in Heglig on Monday that more than 1,000 South Sudan troops were killed in the clashes. "The numbers of killed from SPLM are 1,200," Marouf said in an address to thousands of his soldiers as the stench of death filled the air. The toll is impossible to verify, but an AFP correspondent who accompanied Marouf said the putrid bodies of dead South Sudanese soldiers lay beneath trees in the area.

Sudan has not said how many of its own soldiers died in the operation. The main oil processing facility in Heglig -- providing about half of Sudan's crude -- was heavily damaged, the AFP correspondent reported. A storage tank was destroyed by fire, eight generators which provided power to the facility were also burned, and some oil was leaking onto the ground at the plant operated by Greater Nile Petroleum Operating Company (GNPOC). Both sides have accused each other of damaging the oil infrastructure. The violence in Heglig was the worst since South Sudan won independence in July after a 1983-2005 civil war in which an estimated two million people died. Tensions have mounted over the border and other unresolved issues, raising concerns in recent weeks about the possibility of a wider war.
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News Headline: Sudan: African Union Calls For End to Bombing, Troop Withdrawals | News Date: 04/26/2012 Outlet Full Name: AllAfrica.com News Text: The African Union has called on Sudan to stop its aerial bombing of South Sudan and expressed "dismay and deep disappointment" with both countries for their involvement in the hostilities. In a statement released after a council meeting on Tuesday, the AU said Sudan and South Sudan must withdraw their forces from the disputed border region and keep their troops within their borders - and stop issuing "hostile propaganda and inflammatory statements" that could escalate the conflict. Although neither side has declared war, the President of South Salva Kiir earlier said that Sudan had "declared war" on his country after the north's repeated bombing of the south. South Sudanese government officials in Unity State accuse Sudan of ignoring the recent calls by the international community to end the border conflict between the two nations, by attacking two towns in Unity State, killing two and injuring six people, the Sudan Tribune reported. Sudanese President Omar al-Bashir has made it clear that there will no talks with the South, calling them "poisonous insects", for challenging Sudan's claim to a disputed territory near the border. The AU said South Sudan and Sudan must resume negotiations, which collapsed early in April in Ethiopia when the two countries started attacking each other.
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News Headline: Cross-border fighting seems abating between Sudan, South Sudan | News Date: 04/26/2012 Outlet Full Name: Xinhua News Text: KHARTOUM, April 25 (Xinhua) -- People living in the bordering areas between Sudan and South Sudan had a day of relative peace without shelling and bombing on Wednesday, something rare since the two countries were engaged in cross-border fighting

over oil disputes. South Sudan announced Wednesday its decision to release 13 Sudanese soldiers, who were captured during the battles of Heglig during April 10-15. Army spokesman Philip Aguer said the deal had been brokered by Egypt during its foreign minister's visit to both countries earlier this month and these prisoners of war would be flown back to Khartoum via Cairo. Egyptian Foreign Ministry confirmed later Wednesday the 13 Sudanese soldiers had arrived in Cairo and would soon be sent to Khartoum. The move, seen as a positive step in easing escalating tensions between the two sides, came after repeated calls by the international community for Sudan and its newly-independent neighbor to halt hostilities and return to the negotiating table. As an active player mediating between the two sides, China said Wednesday it would send a special representative to visit the two countries. Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Liu Weimin said Zhong Jianhua, special representative of the Chinese government on African affairs, will soon visit Sudan and South Sudan to promote dialogue and negotiations between the two countries. Liu reiterated China's concerns regarding tension between both countries and called on them to "realize a peaceful coexistence in order to achieve common development." Chinese ambassadors to Sudan and South Sudan, as well as China's permanent mission to the United Nations, have been mediating between the two sides through multiple means, he added. According to Liu, South Sudanese President Salva Kiir Mayardit has cut short his China visit, which started on April 23 and was originally scheduled to last until April 28. The African Union (AU), which has also been engaged in brokering a peace deal between Sudan and South Sudan, presented a seven-point roadmap aiming at a cessation of hostilities and urged the two sides to restart talks within two weeks. The AU also urged the two neighbors to withdraw troops from the disputed border region and stop supporting rebel groups in the other nation. In another related development, the United Nations said it would open a new refugee camp in northern Kenya in case there is an influx of Sudanese and South Sudanese escaping conflicts between their two countries. The Kakuma camp, located in Kenya's arid north near the South Sudan and with a hosting capacity of 100,000 refugees, could soon be full as it receives on average 100 refugees daily. Its current population stands at 94,000, according to the U.N. officials. Situations in the bordering areas between Sudan and South Sudan have turned especially volatile since mid April when firing intensified between the two sides surrounding the oil-rich Heglig region, which is claimed by both countries. The two sides ended their decade-long civil war and forged a unity government in 2005 and South Sudan split from Sudan in July 2011 following an independence referendum.

However, the two sides have failed reaching agreements on a bunch of critical issues such as border demarkation in some areas and also the distribution of oil wealth. Faced with mounting international pressure and the prospect of a full-scale war, South Sudan started to withdraw troops from the Heglig region. An army spokesperson said the withdrawal was completed on April 23. Sudan said its military had killed 938 soldiers of Sudan People's Liberation Army -- South Sudan's army -- and Darfur rebel Justice and Equality Movement during the 10-day battle to restore the Heglig oil area.
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News Headline: Egypt: Local-Ethiopian Efforts to Solve Crisis Between Sudan, South Sudan |

News Date: 04/26/2012 Outlet Full Name: AllAfrica.com News Text: On the sidelines of the urgent meeting of the African Union Peace and Security Council on Sudan and South Sudan on Tuesday 24/4/2012, Foreign Minister Mohammed Kamel Amr has agreed with his Ethiopian counterpart Hailemriam Desalegn to cooperate with the African committee on the Sudanese crisis, headed by former South Africa president in order to return the neighboring countries to the negotiating table to avoid escalation. The two ministers also agree on joint efforts to persuade the two countries to resume the negotiations, where Egypt and Ethiopia will hold the necessary contacts with Khartoum and Juba. For his part, Foreign Ministry spokesman Amr Roshdi said that Egypt and Ethiopia will hold a meeting including African committee, Egypt, Ethiopia, Sudan and South Sudan to discuss ways to resolve the crisis, which the meeting holds in Cairo and Addis Ababa.
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News Headline: Charles Taylor, African Warlord, Convicted for Role in Sierra Leone Atrocities | News Date: 04/26/2012 Outlet Full Name: ABC News Text: After a five year trial that included grisly testimony from victims who were missing limbs, former colleagues and even fashion supermodel Naomi Campbell, African warlord Charles Taylor was convicted today for his role in the atrocities committed in Sierra Leone including mass murder, sexual slavery and the use of child soldiers. Taylor was found guilty by the U.N.-backed Special Court for Sierra Leone on all 11 charges for "aiding and abetting" crimes against the people of the African nation committed by militant groups in the late 1990s and early 2000s. Peter Andersen, a spokesperson for the Special Court of Sierra Leone where Taylor was tried, told ABC News the conviction was not a full victory for the prosecution, who hoped Taylor would be found guilty of being part of a "joint criminal enterprise" and having a direct hand in the atrocities as "superior leader" of the groups who committed them. Still, Andersen said today's ruling -- the first against an African head of state -- was important to the people of Sierra Leone.

"It's why we're here, trying to redress some of the crimes that were committed in Sierra Leone a decade ago," Andersen said. "I don't know if you can talk about closure, especially with people who have had their limbs hacked off, but at least you can talk about some steps towards reconciliation and at least attempt to put the past behind them and look towards the future." The original indictment filed against Taylor detailed specific crimes conducted by Taylor's subordinates including "conscripting or enlisting children under the age of 15 years into armed forces or groups" and multiple instances of mass rape and sexual abuse. Taylor's defense had argued that though the atrocities certainly did take place, there was only circumstantial evidence linking Taylor directly to the acts. While already a landmark case for international court, Taylor's trial captured international headlines after two high-profile celebrities became involved. Supermodel Naomi Campbell was subpoenaed by the court following an ABC News report about allegations that Taylor had given her uncut "blood diamonds" on a trip to South Africa. When asked about the diamonds in April 2010, Campbell denied she received any diamonds and then punched the camera in a producer's hand when pressed for details. But when she took the stand for the criminal court, Campbell admitted she had received a gift of "small dirtylooking stones." Hollywood actress Mia Farrow, who ate breakfast with Campbell the morning during the trip to South Africa, also testified that Campbell had indeed received the diamonds. Taylor is scheduled to be sentenced next month, but both sides are likely to appeal the ruling, Andersen said.
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News Headline: Attack in western Ivory Coast kills at least five | News Date: 04/26/2012 Outlet Full Name: Reuters News Text: ABIDJAN (Reuters) - Gunmen killed at least five people in an overnight attack on a border town in southwestern Ivory Coast, humanitarian and military officials said on Wednesday. Unidentified armed men burned houses, looted shops and terrorised villagers during the twohour assault on the remote town of Sakre on the country's western border with Liberia. "There were five or six killed. Around 2,000 people have fled," an aid worker operating in the area told Reuters, asking not to be named. It was the third such attack in the forested Tai region since September and came a day after Ivory Coast President Alassane Ouattara wrapped up a tour of the volatile west aimed at healing divisions in the world's top cocoa producer following a four-month civil war last year. An army officer, who also asked not to be named because he was not authorised to speak to the press, confirmed the attack and put the death toll at seven. Others were wounded and military authorities have arrested several men suspected of involvement in the raid, he said.

Tens of thousands of Ivorians, including armed militiamen loyal to former President Laurent Gbagbo, fled across the border into Liberia as fighting, stoked by ethnic tensions and longstanding land disputes, engulfed western Ivory Coast. During his trip, Ouattara called upon the refugees to return home but warned that those responsible for crimes during the post-election conflict would face justice. (Reporting and writing by Joe Bavier; Additional reporting by Ange Aboa; Editing by Michael Roddy)
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News Headline: UN maintains sanctions on Ivory Coast | News Date: 04/27/2012 Outlet Full Name: Associated Press News Text: UNITED NATIONS (AP) -- The U.N. Security Council voted unanimously Thursday to maintain sanctions on Ivory Coast for another year, including an arms embargo and a ban on importing rough diamonds from the West African nation. A resolution adopted by the council also renews financial sanctions and travel bans on political figures for violating human rights and blocking peace, including former president Laurent Gbagbo, who is facing charges of war crimes and crimes against humanity at the International Criminal Court in The Hague, Netherlands. Ivory Coast headed to the brink of civil war in early 2011 after then-president Gbagbo refused to concede defeat after losing the presidential runoff vote to Alasanne Ouattara, the internationally recognized winner of the election. Ouattara was sworn in last May. The council welcomed "the steady progress and achievements" the country has made in the past months in restoring stability, by holding parliamentary elections, addressing immediate security challenges, advancing economic recovery and strengthening international and regional cooperation. It also acknowledged the efforts by all Ivorians to promote national reconciliation and consolidate peace. It authorized several exceptions to the arms embargo, including for training security and military forces and for activities to support reform of the security sector. Civilian vehicles can also be provided to the Ivorian security forces. But the Security Council expressed concern about "the unresolved challenge of reforming the country's security sector and disarming and reintegrating former combatants, and it said the situation in the country "continues to pose a threat to international peace and security in the region." U.N. sanctions on Ivory Coast, including the arms embargo and ban on importing rough diamonds, have been in effect since 2004. The resolution adopted Thursday extends sanctions until April 30, 2013. Last week, the Security Council examined a report from a panel of experts monitoring implementation of sanctions which reported violations of the arms embargo and diamond smuggling. It reported gun-running into Ivory Coast from Ghana, Guinea, Mali and Senegal from munitions companies and suppliers in countries as far-flung as France, Belarus and Romania up until

Gbagbo's ouster last year.

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News Headline: Burkina Faso sets December 2 legislative poll | News Date: 04/26/2012 Outlet Full Name: Reuters News Text: OUAGADOUGOU (Reuters) - Burkina Faso will hold elections on December 2 to elect deputies to an increased 127-member parliament from the current 111, the government of the West African nation said on Thursday. The election, which will coincide with municipal polls, follows a turbulent 2011 for the cotton and gold producing nation, which saw protests and army mutinies over salaries and living conditions that threatened the 25-year rule of President Blaise Compaore. Compaore's ruling Congress for Democracy and Progress now holds a majority in the legislature with 57 out of 111 seats. French smart card maker Gemalto has been selected by the country's electoral authorities to provide biometric voter registration in a deal worth 11.6 billion CFA francs, according to the government statement.
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News Headline: Ecowas 'plans to send troops to Bissau' | News Date: 04/26/2012 Outlet Full Name: News24 News Text: Dakar - West African regional bloc Ecowas plans to send more than 600 troops to Guinea-Bissau in coming days with orders to protect people and institutions after a military coup there earlier this month, a senior Ecowas source said on Wednesday. The move could trigger renewed conflict in the impoverished coastal nation after the ruling military junta, which took power in an overnight coup on 12 April, said it would treat any deployment of foreign troops as occupiers. The former Portuguese colony has had several army uprisings since independence in 1974, but this latest has been a setback to Western and regional efforts to reform the military and combat drug cartels using the small west African country as a transhipment point for Latin American cocaine bound for Europe. The Ecowas source said a 638-strong regional force, which will include troops from regional military heavyweight Nigeria along with Ivory Coast, Senegal and Burkina Faso, would be deployed in Guinea-Bissau in the "next few days". Officials from Ecowas, Nigeria, and Senegal did not immediately respond to requests for comment. Ecowas heads of state were due to meet in Ivory Coast on Thursday to discuss Guinea-Bissau as well as Mali, whose president was ousted by soldiers in March and where rebels have taken control of the vast northern desert. A Western diplomatic source said the deployment of a foreign force in Guinea-Bissau risked renewing conflict in a country still recovering from a 1998-99 civil war, and an 11-year

independence struggle before that. Decades of experience "They have the homefield advantage and decades of experience. These guys know how to fight," he said, asking not to be named. The Ecowas source said the deployment of the regional force would coincide with the withdrawal of a much smaller Angolan contingent that had been in the country as part of an effort to reform Guinea-Bissau's military. Guinea-Bissau's army has been accused by Western nations of involvement in narcotics trafficking, and before the coup the United Nations had been co-ordinating efforts to shrink the bloated force and improve discipline within its ranks. Soldiers took power in Guinea-Bissau by derailing a presidential election and detaining the poll's front-runner, ex-Prime Minister Carlos Gomes Junior, after an overnight attack on his house with heavy weapons. Gomes Junior, who supported army reform and was outspoken against drugs, was widely expected to win a 29 April run-off before the vote was pre-empted. The junta said Gomes Junior wanted to "annihilate Guinea-Bissau's armed forces". The army leaders said last week they planned to create a National Transitional Council charged with setting new elections in two years, but the plan was rejected by Ecowas, the African Union and the United Nations Security Council.
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News Headline: For African Anti-Terrorism, Region Must Lead, but U.S. Is Helping | News Date: 04/26/2012 Outlet Full Name: IIP Digital (Dept. of State) News Text: Washington Porous borders and weak security institutions have heightened the threat posed by violent groups in East and West Africa, and the United States is working with countries in both regions to counter the threats, not only by empowering their security forces, but also by promoting better governance, human rights practices and economic opportunities, a senior State Department official told U.S. lawmakers. In his prepared remarks for an April 25 House of Representatives Foreign Affairs Committee hearing, Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for African Affairs Don Yamamoto said African countries affected by groups such as al-Shabaab, Boko Haram, al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb (AQIM) and the Lord's Resistance Army must lead the response to terrorism. Our regional partners have consistently emphasized that Africa's security is the responsibility of the Africans themselves and it is vital that the United States and other partners maintain supporting roles, he said. We will help them stave off legitimate terrorists but will avoid the trap of Americanizing' or 'westernizing' these counterterrorism fights, and thereby prevent extremists from bolstering their own legitimacy by attempting to draw us into the conflict, Yamamoto said. In Somalia, he said, al-Shabaab has carried out conventional and asymmetric attacks against the country's Transitional Federal Government and used the country as a safe haven to attack other countries in East Africa, such as the 2010 bombings in Uganda. It has also blocked

humanitarian organizations from operating in areas it controls, making the country's food emergency worse. With the help of the African Union Mission in Somalia, achieving political stability, including a Somali government that demonstrates to the broader Somali population it is a viable alternative to al-Shabaab and is capable of sustaining itself, will be the best long-term counter to alShabaab, he said. Yamamoto said the promotion of democratic governance and opportunities for young people are an essential priority in areas threatened by AQIM. The region's youthful and better educated populations are demanding more transparency from public officials and expanded economic opportunities. These youth are increasingly aware of governance norms elsewhere in the world and yearn for the same basic rights in their societies. Rising governance standards in West Africa, in turn, are placing ever greater value on legitimacy and heightening intolerance of unconstitutional transitions of power, he said. Economic development requires countries to tackle corruption, he said, and the United States is supporting anti-corruption commissions in countries that are developing reforms, as well as activists who are using technology to increase transparency and hold governments accountable. Human rights abuses by security forces undermine their credibility, Yamamoto warned, and he urged the Nigerian government to promote respect for human rights and to engage communities in the northern part of the country that are vulnerable to Boko Haram. Heavy-handed tactics and extrajudicial killings reinforce northerners' concerns that the Nigerian government does not care about them. The appointment of a credible northerner to lead the government response to northern grievances would be an important step in that direction, he said. Yamamoto stressed that religion is not the primary driver of extremist violence in Nigeria, and said the country's religious and ethnic diversity is one of its greatest strengths. In his prepared statement to the committee, State Department Coordinator for Counterterrorism Daniel Benjamin said the State Department has several programs in Africa that are designed to address the emerging threats posed by violent extremists and others causing instability. These programs are about building the capacity of our partners to counter terrorist threats themselves, while maintaining respect for human rights and the rule of law, he said. This involves helping countries develop their law enforcement and legal institutions to do a better job tracking, apprehending, arresting, prosecuting and incarcerating terrorists, and includes regional cooperation among African countries to detect, deter, investigate and counter terrorism within their borders, he said. For example, the Trans-Sahara Counterterrorism Partnership is strengthening government capacity to combat the terrorist threat and to stem the flow of new recruits to terrorist organizations by providing positive alternatives to those most vulnerable to terrorist messaging. In East Africa, the Partnership for Regional East African Counterterrorism (PREACT) is helping to build counterterrorism capacity and the capability of member countries to thwart short-term terrorist threats and address longer-term vulnerabilities through law enforcement, military and development resources, Benjamin said.

PREACT provides the U.S. government with a flexible and well-coordinated plan to help member countries' efforts to counter both current and emerging terrorist threats and prevent the spread of extremism and future terrorist threats over the medium and long terms. The strategy reflects recognition that the predominant threat to the region and Western interests is Somalia's chronic instability, he said. West African nations, including Nigeria, are participating in the State Department's AntiTerrorism Assistance Program, which enhances border security and investigative capacity for all partner nations in West Africa to better enable them to confront the transnational movement of terrorist groups such as AQIM and Boko Haram, he said. In her testimony, Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for African Affairs Amanda Dory discussed efforts to combat piracy off the Horn of Africa, which she said is directly tied to the instability in Somalia. It has become a lucrative business; money from outside Somalia is invested in increasingly sophisticated equipment with the hope of extorting profit by threatening the lives of innocent merchant seamen, she said. In response, the international community, including NATO and the European Union, is undertaking anti-piracy operations in the area, and the patrols, along with steps taken by the commercial maritime community, have helped to decrease the number of successful hijackings, she said. But many African partners lack the maritime capability to address this threat effectively, and Dory said the Defense Department wants to help them build their capacity to increase maritime domain awareness and security.
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News Headline: ICC rejects Libya bid to try Gaddafi son | News Date: 04/26/2012 Outlet Full Name: News24 News Text: The Hague - The International Criminal Court has again rejected attempts by Libya to delay handing over one of former dictator Muammar Gaddafi's sons, who is wanted for trial. Judges unanimously dismissed Libya's latest appeal against the court's order to surrender Saif al-Islam Gaddafi for trial on charges of murdering and persecuting civilians in the early days of the uprising that toppled his father's regime last year. Saif al-Islam was captured by rebels last year and is being held in the western town of Zintan Libyan authorities are resisting, saying they want to put him on trial at home. Wednesday's decision heaps more pressure on Tripoli to send Saif al-Islam to The Hague.
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News Headline: Libya PM: NTC blocking polls efforts | News Date: 04/26/2012 Outlet Full Name: News24

News Text: Tripoli - Libya's interim prime minister accused the ruling National Transitional Council on Wednesday of hindering his government's efforts to hold elections for a constituent assembly on time. "In this historic moment, we find ourselves shackled by members of the National Transitional Council who continue to attack the government and threaten to cast a no confidence vote," Abdel Rahman al-Kib said. "This blocks our efforts to carry out our duties in the service of the 17 February revolution chiefly, holding elections on time," he told journalists in Tripoli. Kib issued a vigorous defence of his government's performance pointing to the return of normal life, an increase in overall security and fast measures to tackle the armed conflicts that have flared up in the past months. Since its appointment in November, the government has also seen oil production return to near pre-revolution levels, provided treatment for the war wounded abroad and salaries for public sector employees, he said. Last week, NTC members warned that the interim government was heading towards a noconfidence vote due to its failure to organise the army and tackle outstanding security issues. The main criticisms, an NTC member told AFP, were its failure "to reactivate the army, to integrate militias under a legitimate framework and the wasting of public money".
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News Headline: Scientists call for rethink on consumption, population | News Date: 04/26/2012 Outlet Full Name: Reuters News Text: LONDON (Reuters) - Scientists have called for a radical rethink of our relationship with the planet to head off what they warn could be economic and environmental catastrophe. In a report published on Thursday by the London-based Royal Society, an international group of 23 scientists chaired by Nobel laureate Sir John Sulston called for a rebalancing of consumption in favour of poor countries coupled with increased efforts to control population growth to lift the estimated 1.3 billion people living on less than $1.25 a day out of poverty. "Over the next 30-40 years the confluence of the challenges described in this report provides the opportunity to move towards a sustainable economy and a better world for the majority of humanity, or alternatively the risk of social, economic and environmental failures and catastrophes on a scale never imagined," the scientists said. The 133-page report, which Sulston describes as a summary of work done over the last two years, comes against a backdrop of austerity-hit governments reducing subsidies for renewable energy, global car companies falling over themselves to meet demand for new cars in rapidly growing economies like China and Brazil, and increasing pressure to exploit vast reserves of gas locked in rocks around the globe through the controversial process known as fracking'. But the scientists insist the goals in the report are realistic. They argue lifestyle choices, human volition and incentives enshrined in government policy can make a significant difference to patterns of consumption.

They cite the growing appetite for recycling in the developed world, Britain's policy-driven switch to lead-free fuel in the 1980s, and the seemingly prosaic example of air traffic control as examples of where international cooperation can work. Sulston said governments realised quickly that the consequences of not managing air traffic could be catastrophic: "They said 'this is dangerous; we've got to cooperate'." The scientists say developed and emerging economies should stabilise and then start reducing their consumption of materials by increased efficiency, waste reduction and more investment in sustainable resources. Carbon dioxide emissions are 10 to 50 times higher in rich countries compared to poor nations, they say. Rising greenhouse gas emissions are almost certainly responsible for increasing global average temperatures, leading to rising sea levels and more extreme weather, climate scientists say. Voluntary programmes to reduce birth rates, education for young women and better access to contraception urgently need political leadership and financial support. Professor Sarah Harper of Oxford University, another of the authors, said the issue of population had fallen off the development agenda in the last 10-15 years but it should be reinstated and coupled closely with environmental challenges, starting at the Rio+20 United Nations Conference on Sustainable Development to be held in Rio in June. WANTED: BRAVE POLITICIANS The trend to urbanisation remains intact. Some 50 percent of the world's population, which surpassed 7 billion last year, is living in cities. The world's population is forecast to rise to 10 billion before flattening off and the urban proportion is forecast to increase to 75 percent by the end of the century. Eliya Msiyaphazi Zulu, a report author and Executive Director of the African Institute for Development Policy research group, said the need for education about family planning and improved access to contraception was most acute in Africa, which is forecast to contribute 70 percent of the average population growth. He said all the evidence points to African women wanting fewer children and argued the main reason for high fertility in a country like Niger was the fact that half of all women are married at the age of 16. The scientists also supported growing calls for a revision in how we measure economic growth. "We are extremely wedded to the idea that GDP increases are a good thing," said Jules Pretty, Professor of Environment and Society at the University of Essex and another of the authors. He argued that GDP measures many of the bads' in terms of the well-being of the planet as well as the goods', adding: "There is an urgent need for policy change." The scientists present some startling statistics. A child from the developed world consumes 3050 times as much water as one from the developing world. Global average consumption of calories increased about 15 percent between 1969 and 2005, but in 2010 almost 1 billion people did not get their minimum calorie needs. Minerals production rocketed in the 47 years up to 2007; copper, lead and lithium about fourfold and tantalum/niobium, used in electronic gadgets, by about 77 times. For developed countries, Sulston said the message of the report boils down to something quite simple: "You don't have to be consuming as much to have a healthy and happy life".

But will politicians and consumers respond? "It is a brave politician who is prepared to tell Western consumers to consume less to let the developing world consume more," said Tim Lang, Professor of Food Policy at City University in London. "But we need such bravery now, urgently." Lang, who was not involved in the study, welcomed it saying: "The West over- and malconsumes its way to diet-related ill-health from a diet with a high environmental impact. The evidence is there but will politicians and consumers listen and change?"
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News Headline: Southern Africa: SA, SADC Partnering to Combat Piracy | News Date: 04/26/2012 Outlet Full Name: AllAfrica.com News Text: Pretoria Government is looking at enhancing cooperation with its SADC neighbours along the Indian Ocean shoreline, especially the island states of Mauritius, Seychelles and Somalia, to safeguard the sea routes from pirate attacks. "We firmly believe that the solution to this problem lies on land and therefore our enhanced political strategy on Somalia will seek to build capacity to find a political solution, while at the same time combating piracy, prosecuting perpetrators and establishing the necessary correctional institutions to deter such activities in future," International Relations and Cooperation Minister Maite Nkoana-Mashabane said on Wednesday. Piracy seems to be growing in the Indian Ocean, which in turn hinders economic prosperity. Last year alone, 24 ships where hijacked in 134 piracy incidents off the Somali coast, according to the European Union Naval Force. Tabling her Budget Vote in the National Assembly in Parliament, the minister said the instability in Somalia has been the growing scourge of piracy. Instability due to war and the absence of a functioning government have contributed to the worsening of the situation, while a lack of sustainable programmes for institution and capacity building also renders Somalia more vulnerable to natural disasters. Nkoana-Mashabane used the speech to pay homage to South Africans being held hostage in Mali and Somalia. "To Steven McGowan, Bruno Pelizzari, Deborah Calitz, and your respective families - I want to say, we are with you. Furthermore, finding and returning the remains of our late brother, Anton Hammerl, is still a priority for us." Turning to matters of political stability around world, Nkoana-Mashabane reaffirmed South Africa's commitment the notion of creating a better and safer world. Starting in the continent, she said the recent events in Mali and Guinea Bissau were a reminder of the challenges that lay ahead as democracy, peace and stability were still fragile in some countries. She stood by the decision ECOWAS and the AU took in rejecting unconstitutional changes of government and secessionist tendencies.

With regards to Mali, she said South Africa would lend its support to that country to aid their process of transition, while in Guinea Bissau, she urged the military to allow its people to continue with the electoral process of electing a new president. In the Horn of Africa, she said South Africa remained concerned about the tension between Sudan and South Sudan. She was hopeful that the mediation efforts by the AU High-Level Implementation Panel, IGAD, the AU Peace and Security Council, and the United Nations Security Council, would yield "positive results towards restoring normalcy in that part of our continent". Turning to Tunisia, Egypt and Libya, Nkoana-Mashabane indicated that South Africa was ready to share its experience in transitional justice and constitution-making, among others. She remained concerned with the issue of the status of Western Sahara, saying South Africa would continue to support the peace efforts of the AU and the United Nations on that protracted conflict. Nkoana-Mashabane also pledged South Africa's solidarity with Nigeria in their struggle to defeat the menace of terrorism. Closer at home, the minister said they would engage the authorities in Swaziland towards the resolution of their domestic challenges as well as working with the leadership and people of Zimbabwe for the full implementation of the Global Political Agreement. She also touched on the situation in Middle East, especially Syria, Palestine and Iran - where she encouraged peaceful resolutions.
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News Headline: Two new vaccines give Ghana hope for healthy growth | News Date: 04/26/2012 Outlet Full Name: Reuters News Text: ACCRA (Reuters) - When Odei Antwi-Agyei had the chance of introducing vaccines to prevent Ghana's children dying of diarrhoea, or vaccines to stop them dying of pneumonia, he did what no African immunisation chief has done before. He said he'd do both at the same time. The logistics of such a plan are enormous even in a relatively small country of 24 million people. Just keeping the stockpiles of vaccines cool is tough in a tropical nation where average daytime temperatures are 30 degrees Celsius and rural electricity supplies are not reliable. Then there are the training programmes for tens of thousands of healthcare workers, the bottom-up public awareness campaigns taken to outreach centres in rural villages, and the upgrading and reissuing of millions of child health record cards. But as the manager of Ghana's Expanded Programme on Immunisation faced with stubbornly high child mortality rates, Antwi-Agyei says he had no time for defeatism. "We looked at our mortality and saw that some of our highest causes of death are from vaccine preventable diseases. Pneumonia and diarrhoea are killing our children," he told Reuters. "This calls for business unusual. Business as usual is not enough. We have to do things

differently." In 2008, the last year for which full data are available, more than 54,000 Ghanian children died before they had reached their fifth birthday. Public health officials say 20 percent of those deaths were from pneumonia and diarrhoea. So this year, starting this week, Ghana will vaccinate the first babies in a new campaign against rotavirus - a cause of severe diarrhoea - and pneumococcal disease, which causes pneumonia, meningitis and sepsis. The vaccines - oral rotavirus shots made by GlaxoSmithKline (GSK), and Merck, and pneumococcal shots made by GSK and Pfizer, are in large part funded by the Global Alliance for Vaccines and Immunisation (GAVI), a donor-backed group that funds bulk-buy vaccination programmes for poorer nations that cannot afford to pay developed-economy prices. PAIN OF LOSING A "BEAUTIFUL BOY" Emma Agbesi paid the highest price of all with her child. The 25-year-old's second son - a "beautiful, fat, fair baby" as she describes him - died two years ago after failing to fight off the pneumonia that took over his lungs. Isaac was five months old when he became very sick. "He had a fever and he couldn't breathe properly. There was a lot of noise when he was breathing, and it was very short and fast," she remembers. With Isaac's temperature rising and his lungs struggling, staff at the local health clinic told the mother to take him to the hospital - a 45 minute taxi drive away over the rough roads and red earth of the mango-growing district where she lives. Doctors there did their best, but it was too late, Agbesi said. "When he died, it was so painful. The pain is very bad. He was a beautiful boy." At the Princess Marie Louise Children's hospital in Accra, doctors say such heartbreaking tales are common. "Last month in our emergency room, 75 percent of the deaths were from diarrhoeal diseases and respiratory infections like pneumonia," said Eric Sifah, medical superintendent at the 74bed hospital. "In one month we could have 30 deaths from diarrhoea and at least one a day from pneumonia." Little doubt, then, about why Antwi-Agyei was not prepared to choose one vaccine before the other. AMBITIONS, CALCULATIONS Seth Berkley, GAVI's chief executive, who is visiting Ghana for the launch of the new vaccines, is impressed and a little concerned about Anti-Agyei's decision. "The introduction of just one vaccine alone would imply an immense workload of financial planning, medical training and upgrading a complex logistical system," he said. "With a double launch, Ghana's health officials are feeling twice the heat." But, he notes, Ghanaian health officials' ambitions are also based on some cool, calm calculations. Rotavirus, a disease that causes gastroenteritis - an inflammation of the stomach and intestines - can lead to severe dehydration and death in children most vulnerable to infection, those between six months and two years old.

Treating rotavirus diarrhoea among Ghana's children costs an estimated $3.2 million a year, but a recent study found that giving rotavirus shots to children under five would be highly costeffective, saving the country $1.7 million in treatment costs and 1,554 children's lives every year. LONG-TERM BENEFITS While the immediate benefits of vaccinating children against these killers are clear in terms of saving lives and reducing disease, Ghana is also looking at long-term pay-back. Evidence suggests the value of vaccines goes beyond just health benefits. Healthier children are far more likely to attend school regularly, and studies show they also learn more effectively. They are also more likely to be economically productive. Experts say a one year increase in life expectancy increases labour productivity by around 4 percent. Orin Levine, director of the International Vaccine Access Center (IVAC) at the Johns Hopkins School of Public Health in United States, has no doubt diarrhoea and pneumonia are the most important diseases for Ghana to tackle to bring down child deaths and says it will see huge social and economic returns. "We estimate that if they scale up the coverage of pneumonia and diarrhoea vaccines over this decade, they'll prevent more than 14,000 child deaths and 1.4 million cases of meningitis, pneumonia and diarrhoea," he told Reuters. And those prevented deaths, as well as prevented costly cases of disease, will have economic benefits which IVAC expects to be almost $320 million in total by 2020. "Ghana's best resource for the future is its people. So having them healthier, better educated and more productive, is the surest way for Ghana to develop and make itself more successful," Levine said. Viewed on an individual level, a GAVI-led study has found that reduced death rates brought about from full immunisation can lead to an increase of between 12.4 and 18 percent in future annual income for adults. "A FUTURE LEADER?" For mothers like Abigail Kokote, that will make all the difference. She works in the market near her home village of Ayikuma in the Dodowe district near Accra and knows that when her children are sick she can't go to work, making it even more difficult for her to afford the medicines they need. Her new baby, Jonathan, is 10 weeks old and has just become on the first infants in the country to be fully immunised against pneumococcal and rotavirus as well as having the routine pentavalent, polio and yellow fever shots already included in Ghana's child vaccination programme. "Now I know he will grow up to be big and strong. He will be healthy and he will learn well at school. Maybe he will become a politician, even a future leader," she laughs. The similar aspirations of Sophia Ashiabi, a 21-year-old mother cradling her baby at the vaccination and weigh-in outreach unit in Ayikuma, reflect the findings of a 2011 study by researchers at the U.S. Harvard School of Public Health who found that vaccinated children have better cognitive development and significantly higher language and IQ test scores.

"Children who have had vaccinations don't have to miss school like ones who are sick very often," Ashiabi said. Her one-week old son is yet to be named, but she says she'd like to call him Kweku - which means "Wednesday", the day he was born - and she will bring him back to the clinic in a few months when he's old enough to be immunised. "Vaccination will give him strength and open his mind," Ashiabi said. "He will be bright in school and grow up to be a very important person."
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News Headline: United Nations News Centre - Africa Briefs | News Date: 04/27/2012 Outlet Full Name: United Nations News Service News Text: Libya: UN mission welcomes start date for registration of voters, candidates 26 April The United Nations mission in Libya today welcomed the announcement by the country's electoral authorities of the start date for the registration of voters and candidates for the upcoming polls to choose members of the National Congress. Security Council extends sanctions on Cte d'Ivoire for another year 26 April The Security Council today renewed for another year the set of sanctions imposed on Cte d'Ivoire, while adjusting the arms embargo in light of the need for weapons and ammunition to train and equip the country's security forces. UN officials welcome court's guilty verdict in Charles Taylor trial 26 April United Nations officials today welcomed the welcomed the guilty verdict handed down against former Liberian President Charles Taylor by the Special Court for Sierra Leone (SCSL).
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